Windows such as those which are found in residential settings are typically provided with window treatments. The term window treatment is used herein to include curtains, drapes, fabric panels, blinds and valences. Any type of drapery fabric, curtain fabric, wood, metal, jute, bamboo or other natural or man-made material may be used to make the window treatment of the invention.
The primary function of a window treatment is to restrict the amount of light and visual access through windows but the aesthetic result is considered by most purchasers as being the primary basis for selection of one of a plurality of competing styles. Once a particular style is chosen it is usually not possible to vary the visual effect that a particular style provides when the window treatment is placed in front of a window. Examples of several prior art window treatments are found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,587; U.S. Pat. No. 2,611,428; U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,210 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,988.
Generally, window treatments are cut to provide various visual effects in that when the window treatment is placed in position in front of a window, the window is xe2x80x9cframedxe2x80x9d by the profile of the window treatment. The visual effect of a particular window treatment may only be modified by using cloth tie backs or means which allow for the horizontally movement of the window treatment such as movable suspending means or traverse rods.
The applicants have devised a window treatment system which has a plurality of fastening means that are arranged to allow for the partial or complete raising of the window treatment. This structure allows the user to select a number of positions which vary the exposure of the window to admit varying amounts of light or visual access to the window opening without having to remove the window treatment from its fixed position in front of a window.
The invention provides a window treatment which is sized to fit substantially over a window opening, said window treatment having one or more loop means which are affixed to said window treatment in order to allow a lower portion of said window treatment to be raised vertically and affixed to a surface of said window treatment to expose a portion of the surface of said window opening. Generally there will be one row of button means and from 1 to 7, preferably 3 to 5 rows of loop means. The button means and loop means are intended to hold a lower portion of the window treatment to an upper portion of the window treatment.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a window treatment that can be arranged in different configurations when it is hung in front of a window.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a window treatment that can be arranged in many configurations to provide different visual impressions.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a window treatment which may be easily opened and closed to act as a privacy closure for a window as well as a decorative window treatment.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a window treatment that provides at least two distinct visual impressions by means of button means and loop means that may be used to vary the area of the window opening that is exposed on the inside of the window.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a review of the specification.